The 13th Annual Hunger Games: Forever and Always
by Alaena32644
Summary: 13 has always been considered an unlucky number. If you want proof, then just look at what happened to district 13! Now the 13th Hunger Games has arrived, what sort of unlucky end will 23 tributes face this year? rated T, because its the Hunger Games ;D
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic, so it might not be very good, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Sorry if I'm a bit slow at posting more, I'm really busy with homework, so.. :D please Read and Review, thanks :D

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Now I'm not saying that I'm superstitious, but I doubt the odds being in my favour this year. It's the 13th annual Hunger Games, I'm 13 this year, I was born 13 days early, and my 13th birthday is on the 13th, which is the day of this year's Reaping, which is tomorrow. The number 13 has always been considered an unlucky number. That superstition just got worse after it was district 13 that was destroyed. It got so bad at one point that on the 13th of every month for a year it was considered bad luck to leave your home. But that was a long time ago. All we have to remember the Dark Days by is the Hunger Games. And tomorrow is the second time my name will be in the Reaping bowl.

I live with my older brother Wolf, my little sister Aimee, and my Dad. But we don't generally count Dad, because he hasn't really done anything since Mum died. He won't eat. He won't sleep. He won't speak. We're surprised that he's still alive at all. Luckily (or maybe it's unlucky, I'm not sure) Wolf had just turned 12 when Mum died, so when Dad had his mental breakdown and stopped working; he could sign up for tesserae, which meant that your name went in the Reaping ball extra times, in exchange for food.

Last year, when I turned 12, he refused to let me sign up for tesserae. But he turned 19 this year, so now I have to. I could never let Aimee do that. I could never risk it. So this year, my name is in 10 times. I suppose it's a big step up from once. But we need food for all of us. I know you don't get much: just a meagre supply of grain and oil, which is supposed to support one person for a year. But it does help.

My mind is suddenly brought back to now when Wolf touches my shoulder and whispers something in my ear that I can't quite make out. I think it's something about Aimee and the Reaping. I look around me and see Aimee curled up on my lap and I carefully pick her up and carry her to her room. Once she is safely tucked in, I fall into my own bed, and Wolf comes in to say goodnight. We are all surprisingly calm, considering that tomorrow is Aimee's first, and my second Reaping. It's probably for the best. Worrying about it won't make it any better.

By this time tomorrow, 24 more children will have been chosen as tributes to be put in an arena and expected to fight to the death, whilst we have to watch them die. Knowing that only one can survive, and be crowned Victor. And meanwhile, the people of the Capitol will be celebrating and enjoying the death. Cheering and hoping for another drop of blood to fall. And we can't do anything about it. The only thing we can do is hope that our names aren't called.

It's the morning of the Reaping, and I'm more nervous than ever. Today is my birthday, and all of Panem will be gathering today to pick the tributes for this year's Games. At midday, we will head for the square. Where the rest of District 11 will be waiting. So this is what I get as a birthday present. To watch 23 children get murdered in an arena, for the entertainment of the Capitol. What a wonderful gift?

We eat our breakfast in silence, watching the time go by. A piece of stale bread, mashed up and mixed in with hot water. Not the nicest meal in the world, I have to say, but all we can afford at the moment, saving the best for tonight. We don't have much of an appetite anyway. We get washed and dressed into our nicest clothes. We manage to get Dad into a worn out, second-hand suit. Aimee wears a blue and white dress, with flowers in her hair. Wolf, a pair of clean trousers and one of Dad's old shirts. And I put on a pretty cream dress, and a butterfly hairclip that my Mother gave me when I was little. So we're all ready to go.

After what feels like days of waiting, it finally turns 12:00. We walk to the square and there we all sign in and separate. Me and Aimee head off to the areas marked 12 and 13. Right at the back. Everyone stands in silence and I can see families standing around the edges, holding their breaths and clinging on to each others hands tightly, waiting to see if it's their child that gets picked. There are also those who have no one they love at risk. They make their way through the crowd, taking bets on who they think will get picked and how people will react to this. They are despicable people, who no longer care about the lives of innocent children.

I look to the temporary stage that stands in front of the Justice Building. There are two glass balls, one for the boys' names, and one for the girls'. There are three chairs at the back of the stage. In one, sits Mayor Small. And his name says it all, really, he's a short man, with grey hair, and for some reason always has an unforgiving expression on his face. It sends shivers down my spine whenever I see him. Next to him sits our first and only Victor: Thriston Storm. He is the Mentor for the District 11 tributes. I personally think it's a stupid name, but a few girls in school seem to think differently. In the last chair, sits Angelinetta Locket, the District 11 escort. With her purple hair and contact lenses that turn her eyes pink, and her florescent yellow dress that is practically see-through, you can't help but hate her. You can't help but hate everyone from the Capitol. They've never been at risk of having to fight to the death, or starve, or just be uncomfortable with their lives in general.

I'm finally brought away from my silent complaints when the town clock strikes one and the Mayor steps up to the podium. He talks about the history of Panem. We've heard it all before. I find myself thinking about my Mum, and I feel a single tear slide down my cheek, but I wipe it away almost instantly. The speech is over, and Angelinetta Locket jumps up and practically sprints to where the Mayor is stood.  
'Welcome!' She exclaims, as she shoves the Mayor to one side. 'District 11, and Happy Hunger Games! I am so glad to be here today. It's a great honour. Well, shall we begin?' She doesn't wait for a reply before she shrieks 'Girls first!' with a massive grin on her face. She is really starting to scare me now.  
But all I can think of as she reaches her hand into the girl's ball is "please don't be Aimee, please don't be Aimee, please don't be…"  
And then she reads out the name, and it's Aeyia Farr.

And that's my name…


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you liked the first chapter, sorry I'm slow at writing up more, I did warn you! I'd love for you to Review as I haven't had any yet (I think) and it would be nice... anyway! Enjoy.. :D

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I hear a scream behind me. I put my hands over my ears to cover up the sound, before realising who it was that had made such a dreadful noise. People stare at me, feeling sorry for me. Well I don't want their pity. I stand up straight, and wipe all emotion from my face. People step aside. Creating a path that leads right to the stage. When I'm a metre away from the steps that lead up to it, I feel arms around my waist, and I turn to find Aimee clinging on to me. 'No! No! You can't take Aeyia! Don't take away my sister!' she screams at the top of her lungs.

'Aimee, stop this. You know that I have to go. Go and find Wolf. Please.' She still won't budge, and eventually Peacekeepers have to come and drag her away. I stiffly make my way up the steps and take my place on stage. By this point, Angelinetta is grinning wildly and shaking her head. There is seriously something wrong with this woman! I cough and she blinks out of her daydream.

'Well!' she exclaims, 'Congratulations, and what a fun day we are having! Now, time to pick the boy's.' she shoves her hand in the boy's ball and reaches right down to the very bottom. When she has finally got hold of the slip of paper she wants, she whips her hand out, as if she has just been stung. 'Danyl Harper!' she shrieks. I wince at the volume, and notice that so do a few in the crowd.

A rather tall, strong-looking boy steps up onto the stage. He is congratulated and then takes his place beside me. The Mayor explains the Treaty of Treason and tells us to shake hands, and the anthem of Panem plays.

We are then escorted into the Justice building and pushed into separate rooms. My room is beautiful. It has a pink sofa in the centre of the room, with a few armchairs and a small coffee table. I sit on the sofa and lean my head back against the soft fabric. Suddenly the door is opened and I jump up. In come Aimee, Dad, and Wolf. Aimee has tears pouring down her face, Dad is absolutely expressionless, and Wolf is frowning with his eyes trained on the floor. I tell myself not to cry. I can't look weak for the cameras. Because there will be cameras; at the train station, in the Capitol, cameras everywhere. I run across the room and throw my arms around my Dad's shoulders, startling him. I don't know why it was him I chose to say goodbye to first. He hasn't really talked to us for years. But now he relaxes. Now he speaks.  
'Good luck, Aeyia.' He whispers in a shaky voice.

'Thanks, Dad.' I whisper back. Now I really am at risk of crying. I step back and smile at him, then turn to Wolf. 'You okay?' I ask.  
'Me? Don't you think I should be the one asking you that? You are the one that's about to enter an arena and fight to the death against 23 other teenagers. Oh, what a great birthday present that is for you!' He lets out a short laugh, and then breaks down in tears, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tightly. 'I know you can do it, if you believe in yourself.' He pulls away and smiles at me.

I was starting to loathe all of these sympathetic smiles. But I didn't even think of it when Wolf smiled. I look him in the eyes and I can see his fear. Then Aimee jumps on me and we topple over, giggling like children. I guess that's because we are children. When we both regain our feet, she grabs my arm, suddenly serious. 'You have to win. You know about plants, and you can climb. You're fast, and you're good with a knife from cutting the tough fruit from the trees. If you really try, you might be able to win. And you have to. You will definitely try, right?'

I'm not going to win. But I don't tell her that. 'I will definitely try. I promise that I will definitely try. I love you.' A Peacekeeper comes in and tells us our time is up. They all make their way to the door. And all of us are screaming 'I love you! Don't forget! I love you forever and always!' It's what my Mother used to say to us every night before we went to sleep. Every night until the day she died. And suddenly I'm afraid to blink. Afraid that if I do, I will never get to see them again. But I don't need to blink for that to happen. I hear them all one last time, 'I love you! Don't forget! I love you forever and always!' and then the door is slammed shut and I will never see them again.

I don't have any more visitors, which isn't particularly surprising, considering the fact that I don't have any friends. I just sit and wait until it is time for me to board the train.

At least I was right about something. When we get to the train station there are cameras everywhere. But I don't cry. I barely even blink. It was as if I were dead already. My face shows nothing at all. I'm glad. No one will be able to call me weak yet. I don't look at anyone. I just slip through the crowd, silently, calmly. I board the train and when the door is closed, I immediately collapse onto a sofa that sits in the corner of the room. I can't feel my legs, I can't feel anything. I just lay there, unmoving, until Angelinetta comes and pulls me up so that I can sit at the table and have some dinner.

The food is beautiful. And there's loads of it. Huge baskets piled high with fresh rolls, plates and bowls containing countless dishes that I have never seen before, salads, cake, sweets, and each of us gets a selection of drinks. I shovel food down my throat, having never had this much to eat in my whole life. A thick vegetable soup, delicious roast lamb covered in a mint sauce and roast potatoes, and for dessert I eat about five of the delicious rose cupcakes. After gorging myself on the richest and most amazing food I have ever tasted, I feel rather sick. I'm not used to having such a vast array of food choices. No one seems to want to talk to me anyway, so I ask to be shown to my room. As soon as I close the door, I fall onto the bed and cry for the first time since my name was read out. And I cry myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry, this is a short one, and it took me AGES! But I hope you like it anyway! Please Read & Review! Thanks. :D

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I hear a voice, calling my name, just a faint whisper. 'Aeyia! Aeyia! Wakey wakey! Get up Aeyia!' The voice starts shouting, so I open my eyes to find pink eyes and purple hair staring down at me, about 10cm away from my face. I let out a short squeal and fall out of bed and onto the floor. 'Breakfast!' Angelinetta sings, twirling around the room, grabbing a towel and chucking it at me. 'Get up, clean up, and show up!' She then leaps out of the room and slams the door shut. I drag myself up off of the floor and make my way to the bathroom. I have a long shower, and try to find out what all of the buttons do.

When I've finished playing around with the shower, I get dressed into a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a pink t-shirt that I find in a drawer in the dressing room in my "chambers". I slowly make my way to the dining car where I find Angelinetta sitting at the table with a plate of food in front of her.  
'Well at least one of you has showed up.' She says cheerfully as she waves at a person standing in the corner, dressed all in white. He doesn't speak as he fills another plate with bacon, eggs, sausages, potatoes, and countless other foods. He then places it on the table in the seat next to Angelinetta and pulls out the chair.  
'Thank you.' I say as I slide into my chair, I notice that this surprises him, but he doesn't reply. He just nods and places three drinks on the table in front of me. One is fruit juice, one is coffee, and the other, I am told, is called hot chocolate.

I am just about to take a sip from the third glass, when in comes Thriston Storm, looking angry as usual. 'Danyl still won't come out.' He whines, staring at Angelinetta in desperation. 'Can you _please_ have a go?' Then he notices me and stares at me in an odd way for a while, which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. So I clear my throat and wriggle in my seat. 'Umm, I suppose as you're here we can start talking about tactics,' he sits in the seat opposite me and leans on the table with his chin resting on his hand, 'what can you do?' he asks sharply before grabbing a bread roll from the middle of the table and ripping a bit off to place in his mouth.

'I'm not sure quite what you mean,' I whisper, 'could you possibly explain in more detail?'  
'OK, so we have a polite one. Brilliant. But you don't seem the killing sort of type. Prove me wrong.' He tilts his head to one side and squints at me.  
'Well I'm going to have to be the killing sort of type if I want to come out of that arena alive, won't I? So whatever I don't already know about survival skills, I guess I'll have to learn.' I put my elbow on the table with my head on my hand and imitate his expression.  
Thriston grins and straightens up in his seat. 'I like this one! She's actually got a personality; that was a smart response. Yes! I'm happy with this one.' I think this is the happiest I've ever seen him. However, I don't quite see how what I said was clever, or how my attitude will help me, but I suppose a compliment's a compliment, so I smile and lean back in my chair, sipping at my hot chocolate.

At that moment, Danyl charges into the room and crashes into the table, knocking over a jug of water and making me fall off my chair.  
'Now I'm not so sure if I like this one, but he looks reasonably strong.' Thriston says quietly. He then raises his voice to say, 'I see you decided to show up at last!'  
Danyl grunts and sits down next to him and the man in white comes over with a selection of food and drinks for him. Still, the man doesn't talk. I begin to wonder why when Danyl rudely exclaims 'You don't talk much, do you?' then bursts out laughing. The man in white lets out a cough, and I can see he's been hurt by this, but he doesn't react. 'Why? What's your story?' continues Danyl and I have to hold myself back from going over and giving the man a hug after seeing his expression.  
'Danyl!' Cries Angelinetta. 'Stop teasing the Avox!'  
'What's an Avox?' I ask.  
'An Avox, my dear, is someone who has committed a crime and has had their tongue cut out. And when you have no tongue, you cannot speak. So the Capitol kindly gives them a job to serve. Mainly tributes.'  
'Oh.' I look at the Avox and see the pain in his eyes. More pain. All I see at the moment is pain. Ever since Mother died… But now it's different. Soon I shall be dead as well, and we can be reunited. But I will try to win. I promised.


	4. Chapter 4

sorry it took me so long, but here is chapter 4! now I'm starting to get a little worried as I haven't had any reviews and that makes me think everyone hates it... so... :/ oh well! :D I hope you do like it, please please please Read&Review! :D thank you! Enjoy...

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Once we finish our breakfast, Thriston drags us into another beautiful room with a TV and three sofas. 'How do you wish to be trained?' he asks as we all sit down, 'Together, or separately?'  
Danyl and I look at each other, then look at Thriston and say at the exact same time, 'Separately.' except I say, 'Separately, please.' because I actually have some manners.  
'Right, then. Separately it is.' Thriston stands up and walks to the door before turning back around and telling us that the train will be arriving shortly.

Danyl stalks out of the room, muttering something about hot chocolate. Whereas I stand up tall and walk to my chambers to sort out my belongings. I pick up my Mother's hairclip and clip back a strand of hair that keeps falling in front of my face then fold up the dress I was wearing yesterday and shove it into a small bag that I find under my bed. I then get changed into a pretty dark blue dress that has specks of gold embroidered on the skirt. I take a look at myself in the mirror and burst out crying. I look so much like my Mother; I almost believed that it was her I was seeing in the mirror. But it isn't. She's gone. Gone forever and always.

I take in a deep breath. It was all a dream. There is no such thing as the Hunger Games, and even if there was I wouldn't be in it. I'm completely free. I can love without fear. My Mother is alive. I'm sitting in our house back in District 11, Aimee sitting next to me on Wolf's lap. Dad is in the other room, helping Mum to prepare the dinner. We are all at peace. We are all happy. There is no more pain…

'Aeyia! Come here, we are coming up to the Capitol. Hurry!' A new voice. No. Angelinetta.  
I open my eyes. Back to reality. No more time for dreaming. I walk to the door and take one last look back into the room. I haven't left anything. I didn't bring anything. Not true. I've got my Mother's hairclip. And the dress. I shut the door carefully behind me and walk to the dining car. Danyl is sat on a sofa in the corner, staring at the floor. No one else is in the room. Angelinetta walks in behind me.  
'Oh, don't you look… lovely!' She exclaims before pushing me over to the window. 'Look! Isn't it wonderful? That, my dear, is the Capitol! Isn't it marvellous! What do you think? Be honest! Oh, wow. Gorgeous!'  
'It's… lovely.' I say grimly, looking over my shoulder to find Danyl smirking at me.

We pull into the station and the train slows down and eventually comes to a stop. All the while I'm staring out of the window. Strange faces smiling and laughing. All of them pointing at me. I feel sick. A hand reaches up to the window and I think I might open it, when I see that I begin to wave. The cheers get louder and people – or should I say creatures – charge forward to get a closer look at me. I duck down to hide from these monsters, but am immediately dragged up by an excited Angelinetta. She pulls me towards the door of the train and holds me upright so that the cameras can get a good shot. I see my face. I'm grinning. A full view including the dress. I look… almost human. But with mad eyes and hollow cheeks. And my hair all tangled and limply dropping to my shoulders as if it was dead. But if you ignore all of that and just look at the dress, well, the dress was amazing. But it is the person inside the dress that the Capitol sees. They see the scars on my hands and the marks on my face. I am not human to them.

The next few hours go by in slow motion. Painted faces staring; long fingers poking and prodding; hands touching and adjusting; lights flashing in my eyes. Pained thoughts creep into my head as every last hair is ripped from my body. There is nothing left, no substance to my emotions. Confused ideas of escape drift through the air. I am no more. I am dead. I am dead.

'All done!' My prep team grin and step back to admire me. No. Not me. To admire their work. Maika, a short woman with features so sharp it's as if she could cut me with them and green and yellow hair that ended at her waist, squints at me as if something isn't quite right. Her long blue eyelashes fluttering in such a way that makes it near impossible to see the colour of her eyes. She lifts my left arm away from my naked body and stares at my hand for a few seconds before trimming the nail on my thumb a fraction more with the scissors she keeps in her pocket. When she lets go of my hand it drops to my side. And then I see her smile. Sharp, pointed teeth, jagged edges, not cut professionally, like many other Capitol people do. When she sees me staring she clamps her mouth shut and exits the room.

The other two mumble something about someone named Melissa. I am about to ask who they are referring to when a young girl, barely older than me, enters the room in a gorgeous pink dress that reaches her ankles and drags along the floor behind her. She has red hair with gold streaks and bright red eyes. Her skin is the most beautiful golden brown I have ever seen. As if she was shimmering. She smiles at me and gestures for the rest of my prep team to leave.

She must be my stylist. Her radiance seems to light up the room and brings a warm feeling to my cheeks. 'My name is Melissa.'


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry that it took so long -yet again- but here is chapter 5! :D I hope everyone had a good christmas! Please Read&Review.. :) Thanky you so much for reading. Enjoy... :D

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She holds out her hand to me and I shake it without hesitation. ' I'm here to make you look so beautiful that you will be memorable.' A smile lights up her face as she circles me with a careful eye. I try not to feel too awkward as she inspects every last inch of my body. I am still only a child, small and weedy, that age where nothing seems quite right about you. I resist the urge to cover myself, and I think that I am just about to crack when she gestures for me to put my robe back on. I let out the breath I didn't realise I had been holding and follow Melissa into the next room.

'So. You know about the Opening Ceremony, correct?' she frowns at the table.  
'Yes, I remember.' I reply.  
'And so you know that your costume must reflect your district's speciality.' Her fingers trace a line on the table before sliding to a button at the side and pressing it firmly with her index finger. 'Aha!' she smiles as the table splits and food appears from within. 'Sorry about that. Anyway, as I was saying, costumes. I would like my first attempt to be at least reasonable, and I believe that we will grow to become friends. You _will_ look good!' Another smile. I haven't smiled at her once yet. And I still can't. No matter how kind she is to me, she will always be from the Capitol.

I follow her lead and take a roll from the centre of the table and rip a bit off to dip in a mixture of vinegar and olive oil. The taste is heavenly and I do the same with another three rolls.  
'So, will I be dressed like a farmer then?' I finally ask, sarcastically.  
'Heavens, no! Who would remember you in _that?_ I've got a much better idea. We shall go with the theme of nature. Okay? Something pretty, and innocent-looking, with a deadly twist. Okay? What do you think?'  
'Great, but how are you going to do that?'  
'Oh.' She laughed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. 'I have just the thing!'

A few hours later, I am dressed in the most amazing costume I have ever seen. I have blood red highlights in my hair and thick dark eyeliner that swirls into beautiful patterns down my cheeks that look like leaves. I wear a short dark green flowing dress with a gold belt that twists around my body like vines. Tiny specks of red that look like drops of blood are scattered on the skirt and tiny gold butterflies cover my chest. I look… breathtaking, and older in a way. I wear my hair down with my mother's hairclip to stop it from covering my face. I stand there, bare-foot as Melissa and my prep team stare at me with wide eyes.

We head to the elevator to find Danyl wearing a suit that is the same dark green colour as my dress with matching gold vines twisted around him. His shirt is blood-red with specks of gold. Together, we are amazing.  
We are taken down to the bottom level of the Remake Centre, which is pretty much a massive stable. The Opening Ceremony will begin shortly. We are pushed into a chariot pulled by four beautiful dark reddish brown horses. No one needs to guide their reins.  
We are positioned carefully on the chariot and are told not to move. We do not speak to each other.

The opening music begins and the doors slide open to reveal streets lined with people screaming. That's when I realise just how quiet it had been in here. I look around at the other kids. Some of them are quite small. I can handle them. They look so scared and weak. But then there are some people that are so big. Strong and determined. My eyes flicker over to the District 12 boy. So tiny, even I could squash him like a bug. He looks like he hasn't eaten in days. Probably hasn't Apart from Capitol food, of course. He must be only 12 or 13. Poor kid. He'll be dead within the first hour. The District 1 chariot rides out. I try not to look at anyone else. Head down until we get out there. One by one the other Districts follow. And then it's us.

'Good luck!' I hear Melissa call as our chariot pulls away, 'Remember to smile and hold your heads held high!'  
I grin wildly as we drive through the crowds of people screeching and trying to get closer. I lift my chin and clench my fists at my sides. As we move further along, I gain more confident and find myself waving. The screaming grows louder still and I feel my head is about to explode. Pink petals float down around me and I look up to see roses falling towards the chariot. I squeal in delight and blow a kiss in the direction they came from. Danyl snorts and tries to smile, but to me it just looks like a grimace. People have noticed me. I feel my throat clench in excitement at the idea of possibly gaining sponsors. But no, that's ridiculous. It's only the Opening Ceremony. Decisions like that will be made once people know more about the Tributes, right?

The twelve chariots surround the City Circle. The horses pull us right up to President Blaze's mansion. The music stops as soon as the chariots are all in place. The president welcomes us and I see the faces of each tribute shown on the screen during his speech. The national anthem plays and the chariots parade around the Circle one more time before disappearing into the Training Centre.

We are greeted by Melissa, my prep team, and Danyl's stylist and prep team. I find out all their names, and believe me, not by choice. They all sort of throw themselves at us. In my prep team there is Maika -the creepy woman with the pointy teeth- , Gauis and Atlas. Gauis is short and chubby with a big red face and bright green hair. His face is completely covered in glitter. And Atlas is a very tall, very slim man with hair that's darker than black -if that is even possible- and skin that seems ever so slightly blue. Then there is Danyl's stylist: Leonis. He is small and yellow-ish looking with big round dark eyes and orange lips. Danyl's prep team consists of a young girl named Blye, who looks like she could be related to Melissa, a forty year old woman called Theta and a small spiky man called Scorpio who actually kind of scares me. After finally being released, we are shown around our floor of the Training Centre. Being from District 11, we are on floor 11. We will stay here until the Games begin. Angelinetta and Thriston will be watching over us up until when we enter the arena.

At last I head to my quarters, which are about the size of my house in District 11. One look at the king-size bed with its soft pillows and I realise how exhausted I am. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. _Just a short nap… _I tell myself silently before I drift away entirely.


End file.
